Ease into Spring with these Wellness Tips!
Spring is the season of new beginnings and fresh starts. And in Chinese medicine, it is also the time of the wood element, which includes the liver and gallbladder organ and meridians. In Chinese medicine, the wood element is responsible for our emotions, especially those related to anger, depression, and mood swings. The wood element also rules our eyes and tendons. It is also the element that when unbalanced, can very readily affect others. For example, when our liver energy fails to move properly, it can affect our digestion or our circulatory system. However, the most important job of the liver is that it filters and stores our blood. If our liver is unable to filter properly, our blood becomes dirty, the immune system suffers, creating a host of opportunities for disease to set in.
You see, the liver is a gatekeeper of sorts. It prevents toxins from adversely affecting our other major organs. It works in tandem with the gallbladder, which stores the bile that helps to break down fats from our diet. Taking care of our liver is paramount to our overall health and well being. Our modern lives are all about abusing and taking advantage of the liver’s ability to keep us safe. We usually don’t realize all the things we do to abuse our liver until it becomes too late.
Ever been stressed? Drinking coffee, matcha, caffeinated tea or a soft drink? Maybe having a bite of dark chocolate? Stress or ingesting caffeine pumps our adrenals to release adrenaline, which is corrosive to our nervous system. Your liver has to work overtime to neutralize it. Have a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake? High fat foods also put the liver into overdrive working to prevent the fats you just ingested from clogging your arteries.
What about using personal care products with chemical ingredients you can’t pronounce, walking through a park with a lawn that had been recently sprayed with herbicides and pesticides, what is really in that ramen sauce packet? We are constantly being bombarded by toxins and absorbing them through our lungs, skin and gut.
The reason most people tend to have more health issues as they get older is that the liver has been doing it’s job diligently without the proper care and it’s ability to detox diminishes after years of assault. The accumulation of toxins over our lifetime becomes too much.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! Spring is the perfect time to start supporting and caring for your liver. Along with acupuncture and herbal medicine, here are some quick and easy tips you can incorporate into your daily routine to show it some LOVE!!!
Tip #1 – Hydration
Toxins are eliminated regularly by the body via 3 avenues: urine, sweat, and stool. Most people are chronically dehydrated which makes eliminating accumulated toxins difficult. Caffeinated beverages not only dehydrate you, it acidifies your body, which eventually leads to bone loss. Instead of reaching for a caffeinated beverage first thing in the morning, add this simple routine of drinking lemon or lime water. Adding at least half a lemon or lime to every 2cups (16oz) of water helps deliver hydration deeper into your cell walls so that long standing toxins can be flushed out. Lemon water also helps your body stay more alkaline, For more info on the ins and outs of lemon water, go to this link.
Tip #2 – Avoid Chemical Fragrances
You’d be surprised what can be absorbed through your skin and nose. Those plug in air fresheners, scented candles, dryer sheets, perfumes, soaps, personal care products, cosmetics, household cleaners and detergents could be exposing you to potentially dangerous chemicals. Ones that could be compromising your immune system. Take a look at the products around your home and take stock of what you can do to reduce or eliminate exposure to toxic ingredients. On your next shopping trip, you can choose products without added fragrances and chemicals. Your body will thank you for it! Be in the habit of researching ingredients you’re unsure of so that you can minimize your toxic exposure and what you’re bringing into your environment. For more info on chemical fragrances, check out this article.
Tip #3 – Seek Out Dragon Fruit
Why not add this amazing fruit in the year of the Dragon? Dragon fruit, aka pitaya, has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to be anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and antimicrobial. You want to find the red fleshed variety as the vivid red pigment is a liver rejuvenator that helps slow liver aging. You can often find the fresh fruit at asian supermarkets, but it can often be found in the frozen fruit section and the dried fruit is also readily available online. If you want to read more on the study, check here.
Tip #4 – Be Asleep Between 11pm-3am
This is the prime time for our liver to be filtering and cleaning our blood. Being asleep during this time period helps ensure this process occurs at its peak optimal level. If you’re having sleep issues, know that it can be regulated with acupuncture and herbs. Come book a session with one of the practitioners at Tao to Wellness here.
Tip #5 – Hold Off On Eating Fats Until Noon
Remember all the cleansing that your liver just did throughout the night? Let’s extend that goodness a little further and get a little more detox mileage! Hold off on eating fats, proteins (including nuts & beans), avocados, eggs, and dairy until lunch. Choose fresh fruit (not dried) instead for breakfast and your liver will get some extra time to detox before having to be put to work on breaking down fats. Better yet, stay hydrated and avoid dried fruits and salt in the early part of your day so that your body can continue to move wastes out of your body.
And there you have it! If you’re struggling with any health issues, chances are that your liver could use some help. Follow these quick tips and show it some love starting this spring. And as always, we’re here to support you!
